This invention relates in general to sewing machines and in particular to a new and useful sewing machine having a housing base portion with a removable container for accepting waste material produced during sewing and trimming.
A sewing maching is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,084,647 that is provided with a trimmer. The trimmed waste cut off by the trimmer passes a tube that is connected to a bag as a waste container to hold the trimmed waste. The trimmed waste is transported through the tube into the waste container by a stream of air that is generated by a fan driven by the motor of the sewing machine.
In this arrangement, the long transport paths between the trimmer and the waste container are a disadvantage, since the trimmed waste clings to the tube without the stream of air and does not reach the waste container. This is a particular drawback especially for domestic sewing machines, since there is generally no source of compressed air in the household and a fan driven by the motor of the sewing machine is costly and expensive for use in the home. The freedom of motion of the seamstress is also restricted by the tube and the waste container, and the appearance of the sewing machine is adversely affected.
The invention provides a waste container for trimmed waste of a sewing machine arranged so that the trimmed waste reaches the waste container over short transport paths that need as little space as possible, and the support surface for the sewing material is enlarged without changing the appearance of the sewing machines.
The waste container is advantageously integrated into the housing of the sewing machine, and in addition to its actual function, that is to hold trimmed waste, it serves as a panelling element that produces an enlargement of the support surface for the sewing material in the stitching area. This facilitates the guidance of the sewing material by the seamstress. At the same time, an optimally short path length is provided for the trimmed waste.
Because of the desired short path length, the opening provided in the waste container includes an arrangement in which the cut-off fabric strips and threads fall directly into the waste container. The entrance of the trimmed waste falling down laterally from the stitching plate into the waste container is facilitated, inasmuch as a guide groove is provided which reduces the risk that trimmed waste will accumulate below the opening in the entry area or will be suspended there, which would block the path for the following trimmed waste to the interior of the waste container.
It is possible easily to empty the waste container that is filled with trimmed waste after some time of sewing, by forming it as an independent unit that can be removed from the sewing machine.
The support surface for the sewing material is advantageously enlarged by the waste container in the area that is especially important for laying and guiding the sewing material.
Accordingly, it is the object of the invention to provide a sewing machine with a removeable waste container which is adapted to be detachable, secure to the sewing machine housing which defines a receiving groove for waste material at a surface which is flush with the sewing machine housing base which goes to define a greater article support surface with the base.
A further object of the invention is to provide a sewing machine which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.